Isha Upanishad (with commentary) · Verses 1-10

Īśa-Upaniṣad (Īśopaniṣad or Īśāvāsyopanisad), Kāṇva recension with the commentary ascribed to Śaṃkara
oṃ
tat sad brāhmaṇe namaḥ
īśāvāsyopaniṣad
oṃ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṃ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate /
pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate //
oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ /
īśā vāsyamityādayo mantrāḥ karmasvaviniyuktāḥ /
teṣāmakarmaśeṣasyātmano yāthātmyaprakāśakatvāt /
yāthātmyaṃ cātmanaḥ śuddhatvāpāpaviddhatvaikatvanityatvāśarīratvasarvagatatvādi vakṣyamāṇam /
tacca karmaṇā virudhyeteti yukta evaiṣāṃ karmasvaviniyogaḥ /
na hyevaṃ lakṣaṇamātmano yāthātmyamutpādyaṃ vikāryamāpyaṃ saṃskāryaṃ kartṛbhoktṛrūpaṃ vā yena karmaśeṣatā syāt /
sarvāsāmupaniṣadāmātmayāthātmyanirūpaṇenaiva upakṣayāt /
gītānāṃ mokṣadharmāṇāṃ caivaṃ paratvāt /
tasmādātmano 'nekatvakartṛtvabhoktṛtvādi cāśuddhatvāpāpaviddhatvādi copādāya lokabuddhisiddhakarmāṇi vihitāni /
yo hi karmaphalenārthī dṛṣṭena brahmavarcasādinādṛṣṭena svargādinā ca dvijātirahaṃ na kāṇakubjatvādyanadhikāraprayojakadharmavānityātmānaṃ manyate so 'dhikriyate karmasviti hyadhikāravido vadanti /
tasmādete mantrā ātmano yāthātmyaprakāśanena ātmaviṣayaṃ svābhāvikamajñānaṃ nivartayantaḥ śokamohādisaṃsāradharmavicchittisādhanamātmaikatvādivijñānamutpādayanti /
ityevamuktādhikāryabhidheyasambandhaprayojanānmantrānsaṃkṣepato vyākhyāsyāmaḥ /
oṃ
īśā vāsyam idaṃ sarvaṃ yat kiñca jagatyāṃ jagat |
tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya sviddhanam

īśā īṣṭa itīṭ teneśā /
īśitā parameśvaraḥ paramātmā sarvasya /
sa hi sarvamīṣṭe sarvajantūnāmātmā sanpratyagātmatayā tena svena rūpeṇātmaneśā vāsyamācchādanīyam /
kim? idaṃ sarva yatkiñca yatkiñcijjagatyāṃ pṛthivyāṃ jagattatsarvaṃ svenātmanā īśena pratyagātmatayāhamevedaṃ sarvamiti paramārthasatyarūpeṇānṛtamidaṃ sarvaṃ carācaramācchādanīyaṃ svena paramātmanā /
yathā candanāgarvāderudakādisambandhajakledādijamaupādhikaṃ daurgandhyaṃ tatsvarūpanigharṣaṇena ācchāghate svena pāramārthikena gandhena /
tadvadeva hi svātmani adhyastaṃ svābhāvikaṃ kartṛtvabhoktṛtvādilakṣaṇaṃ jagadadvaitarūpaṃ jagatyāṃ pṛthivyām, jagatyāmiti upalakṣaṇārthatvātsarvameva nāmarūpakarmākhyaṃ vikārajātaṃ paramārthasatyātmabhāvanayā tyaktaṃ syāt /
evamīśvarātmabhāvanayā yuktasya putrādyeṣaṇātrayasaṃnyāsa evādhikāro na karmasu /
tena tyaktena tyāgenetyarthaḥ /
na hi tyakto mṛtaḥ putro vā bhṛtyo vā ātmasambandhitāyā abhāvāt ātmānaṃ pālayati atastyāgena ityayameva vedārthaḥ-- bhuñjīthāḥ pālayethāḥ /
evaṃ tyaktaiṣaṇastvaṃ mā gṛdhaḥ gṛdhimākāṅkṣāṃ mā kārṣīrdhanaviṣayām kasyasviddhanaṃ kasyacitparasya svasya vā dhanaṃ mā kāṅkṣīrityarthaḥ /
svidityanarthako nipātaḥ /
athavā mā gṛdhaḥ /
kasmāt? kasyasviddhanamityākṣepārtho na kasyaciddhanamasti yadgṛdhyeta /
ātmaivedaṃ sarvamitīśvarabhāvanayā sarvaṃ tyaktamata ātmana evedaṃ sarvamātmaiva ca sarvamato mithyāviṣayāṃ gṛdhiṃ mā kārṣīrityarthaḥ

evamātmavidaḥ putrādyeṣaṇātrayasaṃnyāsenātmajñānaniṣṭhatayātmā rakṣitavya ityeṣa vedārthaḥ /
atha itarasyānātmajñatayā ātmagrahaṇāya aśaktasyedamupadiśati mantraḥ--
kurvann eveha karmāṇi jijīviṣecchataṃ samāḥ |
evaṃ tvayi nānyatheto 'sti na karma lipyate nare

kurvanneva iha nivartayanneva karmāṇyagnihotrādīni jijīviṣejjīvitumicchecchataṃ śatasaṅkhyākāḥ samāḥ saṃvatsarān /
tāvaddhi puruṣasya paramāyurnirūpitam /
tathā ca prāptānuvādena yajjijīviṣecchataṃ varṣāṇi tat kurvanneva karmāṇītyetadvidhīyate /
evamevamprakāreṇa tvayi jijīviṣati nare naramātrābhimāninīta etasmādagnihotrādīni karmāṇi kurvato vartamānātprakārādanyathā prakārāntaraṃ nāsti yena prakāreṇāśubhaṃ karma na lipyate karmaṇā na lipyata ityarthaḥ /
ataḥ śāstravihitāni karmāṇyagnihotrādīni kurvanneva jijīviṣet /
kathaṃ punaridamavagamyate pūrveṇa saṃnyāsino jñānaniṣṭhoktā dvitīyena tadaśaktasya karmaniṣṭheti /
ucyateḥ jñānakarmaṇorvirodhaṃ parvatavadakampyaṃ yathoktaṃ na smarasi kim /
ihāpyuktaṃ 'yo hi jijīviṣet sa karma kurvan' 'īśāvāsyamidaṃ sarvam' 'tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ' 'mā gṛdhaḥ kasyasviddhanam' iti ca /
'na jīvite maraṇe vā gṛdhiṃ kurvītāraṇyamiyāditi ca param ; tato na punariyāt' iti saṃnyāsāsanāt /
ubhayoḥ phalabhedaṃ ca vakṣyati /
imau dvāveva panthānāvanuniṣkrāntatarau bhavataḥ kriyāpathaścaiva purastātsaṃnyāsaścottareṇa /
nivṛttimārgeṇa eṣaṇātrayasya tyāgaḥ /
tayoḥ saṃnyāsapatha evātirecayati /
"nyāsa evātyarecayat"iti ca taittirīyake /
"dvāvimāvatha panthānau yatra vedāḥ pratiṣṭhitāḥ /
pravṛttilakṣaṇo dharmo nivṛttaśca vibhāvitaḥ" //
ityādi putrāya vicārya niścitamuktaṃ vyāsena vedācāryeṇa bhagavatā vibhāgañcānayoḥ darśayiṣyāmaḥ

athedānīmavidvannindārtho 'yaṃ mantra ārabhyate --
asuryā nāma te lokā andhena tamasāvṛtāḥ |
tāṃste pretyābhigacchanti ye ke cātmahano janāḥ

asuryāḥ paramātmabhāvamadvayamapekṣya devādayo 'pyasurāsteṣāñca svabhūtā lokā asuryā nāma /
nāmaśabdo 'narthako nipātaḥ /
te lokāḥ karmaphalāni /
lokyante dṛśyante bhujyanta iti janmāni /
andhenādarśanātmakenājñānena tamasāvṛtā ācchāditāḥ tāṃsthāvarāntānpretya tyaktvemaṃ dehamabhigacchanti yathākarma yathāśrutam /
ātmānaṃ ghnantītyātmahanāḥ /
ke te janāḥ ye 'vidvāṃsaḥ /
kathaṃ ta ātmānaṃ nityaṃ hiṃsanti /
avidyādoṣeṇa vidyamānasyātmanaḥ tiraskaraṇāt vidyamānasya ātmano yatkāryaṃ phalamajarāmaratvādisaṃvedanalakṣaṇaṃ taddhatasyeva tirobhūtaṃ bhavatīti prākṛtāvidvāṃso janāḥ janāḥ ātmahana ucyante /
tena hyātmahananadoṣeṇa saṃsaranti te

yasyātmano hananādavidvāṃsaḥ saṃsaranti tadviparyayeṇa vidvāṃso janā mucyante te nātmahanaḥ tat kīghśamātmatacvamityucyate--
anejad ekaṃ manaso javīyo nainaddevā āpnuvanpūrvamarṣat |
taddhāvato 'nyānatyeti tiṣṭhat tasminn apo mātariśvā dadhāti

anejat na ejat /
ejṛ kampane, kampanaṃ calanaṃ svāvasthāpracyutistadvarjitaṃ sarvadaikarūpamityarthaḥ /
taccaikaṃ sarvabhūteṣu manasaḥ saṅkalpādilakṣaṇād javīyo javavattaram /
kathaṃ viruddhamucyate dhruvaṃ niścalamidaṃ manaso javīya iti ca /
naiṣa doṣaḥ /
nirupādhyupādhimattvenopapatteḥ tatra nirupādhikena svena rūpeṇocyate anejadekamiti manaso 'ntaḥkaraṇasya saṅkalpavikalpalakṣaṇasyopādheranuvarttanād iha dehasthasya manaso brahmalokādidūragamanaṃ saṅkalpena kṣaṇamātrādbhavatītyato manaso javiṣṭhatvaṃ loke prasiddham /
tasmin manasi brahmalokādīn drutaṃ gacchati sati prathamaṃ prāpta ivātmacaitanyāvabhāso gṛhyate 'to manaso javīya ityāha /
nainaddevā dyotanāddevāścakṣurādīnīndriyāṇyetatprakṛtamātmatattvaṃ nāpnuvanna prāptavantaḥ /
tebhyo mano javīyaḥ manovyāpāravyavahitatvād ābhāsamātramapi ātmano naiva devānāṃ viṣayībhavati /
yasmājjavanānmanaso 'pi pūrvamarṣat pūrvameva gataṃ vyomavadvyāpitvāt sarvavyāpi tadātmatattva sarvasaṃsāradharmavarjitaṃ svena nirupādhikena svarūpeṇāvikriyameva sadupādhikṛtāḥ sarvāḥ saṃsāravikriyā anubhavatītyavivekināṃ mūḍhānāmanekamiva ca pratidehaṃ pratyavabhāsata ityetadāha /
taddhāvato drutaṃ gacchato 'nyānātmavilakṣaṇānmanovāgindriyaprabhṛtīnatyeti atītya gacchati iva /
ivārthaṃ svayameva darśayati tiṣṭhaditi svayamavikriyameva sadityarthaḥ /
tasminnātmatattve sati nityacaitanyasvabhāve mātariśvā vāyuḥ sarvaprāṇabhṛt kriyātmako yadāśrayāṇi kāryakaraṇajātāni yasminnotāni protāni ca yatsūtrasaṃjñakaṃ sarvasya jagato vighārayitṛ sa mātariśvā; apaḥ karmāṇi prāṇināṃ ceṣṭālakṣaṇāni, agnyādityaparjanyādīnāṃ jvalanadahanaprakāśābhivarṣaṇādilakṣaṇāni dadhāti vibhajati ityarthaḥ /
dhārayatīti vā"bhīṣāsmādvātaḥ pavate" (tai. u. 2 / 8 / 1) ityādi śrutibhyaḥ /
sarvā hi kāryakaraṇādivikriyā nityacaitanyātmasvarūpe sarvāspadabhūte satyeva bhavantītyarthaḥ

na mantrāṇāṃ jāmitāstiti pūrvamantroktamapyartha punarāha--
tad ejati tan naijati tad dūre tad v antike |
tad antar asya sarvasya tad u sarvasyāsya bāhyataḥ

tadātmatattvaṃ yatprakṛtaṃ tadejati calati tadeva ca naijati svato naiva calati svato 'calameva sat
calatīvetyarthaḥ /
kiñca taddūre varṣakoṭiśatairapyaviduṣāmaprāpyatvād dūra iva /
tad u antike iti cchedaḥ /
tadvantike samīpe 'tyantameva viduṣāmātmatvānna kevalaṃ dūre 'ntike ca /
tadantarabhyantare 'sya sarvasya"ya ātmā sarvāntaraḥ"(bṛ. u. 3 / 4 / 1) iti śruteḥ asya sarvasya jagato nāma rūpakriyātmakasya tadu api sarvasya asya bāhyato vyāpakatvādākāśavanniratiśayasūkṣmatvād antaḥ /
"prajñānaghana eva"(bṛ. u. 4 / 5 / 13) iti ca śāsanānnirantaraṃ ca

yas tu sarvāṇi bhūtāny ātmany evānupaśyati |
sarvabhūteṣu cātmānaṃ tato na vijugupsate

yaḥ parivrāḍ mumukṣuḥ sarvāṇi bhūtānyavyaktādīni sthāvarāntāni ātmanyevānupaśyatyātmavyatiriktāni na paśyatītyarthaḥ, sarvabhūteṣu ca teṣveva cātmānaṃ teṣām api bhūtānāṃ svamātmānamātmatvena yathāsya dehasya kāryakaraṇasaṅdhātasyātmā ahaṃ sarvapratyayasākṣibhūtaścetayitā kevalo nirguṇo 'nenaiva svarūpeṇāvyaktādīnāṃ sthāvarāntānāmahamevātmeti sarvabhūteṣu cātmānaṃ nirviśeṣaṃ yastvanupaśyati sa tatastasmādeva darśanānna vijugupsate vijugupsāṃ ghṛṇāṃ na karoti /
prāptasyaivānuvādo 'yam /
sarvā hi ghṛṇātmano 'nyadduṣṭaṃ paśyato bhavati, ātmānamevātyantaviśuddhaṃ nirantaraṃ paśyato na ghṛṇānimittam arthāntaramastīti prāptameva /
tato na vijugupsata iti

imamevārthamanyo 'pi mantra āha--
yasmin sarvāṇi bhūtāny ātmaivābhūd vijānataḥ |
tatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śoka ekatvam anupaśyataḥ

yasminkāle yathoktātmani vā tānyeva bhūtāni sarvāṇi paramārthātmadarśanādātmaivābhūd ātmaiva saṃvṛtaḥ paramārthavastu vijānataḥ tatra tasminkāle tatrātmani vā ko mohaḥ kaḥ śokaḥ /
śokaśca mohaśca kāmakarmabījam ajānato bhavati /
na tvātmaikatvaṃ viśuddhaṃ gaganopamaṃ paśyataḥ ko mohaḥ kaḥ śoka iti śokamohayoravidyākāryayorākṣepeṇa asambhavapradarśanāt sakāraṇasya saṃsārasyātyantamevocchedaḥ pradarśito bhavati

yo 'yamatītairmantrairukta ātmā sa svena rūpeṇa kiṃlakṣaṇa ityāhāyaṃ mantraḥ--
sa paryagāc chukram akāyam avraṇam asnāviraṃ śuddham apāpaviddham |
kavir manīṣī paribhūḥ svayambhūr yāthātathyator 'thān vyadadhāc chāśvatībhyaḥ samābhyaḥ

sa yathokta ātmā paryagāt pari samantādagādgatavānākāśavadvyāpī ityarthaḥ /
śukraṃ śuddhaṃ jyotiṣmaddīptimānityarthaḥ /
akāyamaśarīro liṅgaśarīravarjita ityarthaḥ /
avraṇam akṣatam /
asnāviraṃ snāvāḥ śirā yasminna vidyanta ityasnāviram /
avraṇamasnāviramityābhyāṃ sthūlaśarīrapratiṣedhaḥ /
śuddhaṃ nirmalamavidyāmalarahitamiti kāraṇaśarīrapratiṣedhaḥ /
apāpaviddhaṃ dharmādharmādipāpavarjitam /
śukramityādīni vacāṃsi pulliṅgatvena pariṇeyāni /
sa paryagādityupakramya kavirmanīṣītyādinā pulliṅgatvenopasaṃhārāt /
kaviḥ krāntadarśī sarvādṛk /
"nānyo 'to 'sti draṣṭā"(bṛ. u. 3 / 8 / 11) ityādiśruteḥ /
maniṣī manasa īṣitā sarvajña īśvara ityarthaḥ /
paribhūḥ sarveṣāṃ paryupari bhavatīti paribhūḥ /
svayambhūḥ svayameva bhavatīti /
yeṣāmupari bhavati yaścopari bhavati sa sarvaḥ svayameva bhavatīti svayambhūḥ /
sa nityamukta īśvaro yāthātathyataḥ sarvajñatvādyathātathābhāvo yāthātathyaṃ tasmādyathābhūtakarmaphalasādhanator'thān karttavyapadārthān vyadadhādvihitavān yathānurūpaṃ vyabhajadityarthaḥ, śāśvatībhyo nityābhyaḥ samābhyaḥ saṃvatsarākhyebhyaḥ prajāpatibhya ityarthaḥ

atrādyena mantreṇa sarvaiṣaṇāparityāgena jñānaniṣṭhoktā prathamo vedārthaḥ"īśā vāsyamidaṃ sarvaṃ...mā gṛdhaḥ kasyasviddhanam"iti /
ajñānāṃ jijīviṣūṇāṃ jñānaniṣṭhāsambhave"kurvanneveha karmāṇi...jijīviṣet"iti karmaniṣṭhoktā dvitīyo vedārthaḥ /
anayośva niṣṭhayorvibhāgo mantrapradarśitayorbṛhadāraṇyake 'pi pradarśitaḥ "so 'kāmayata jāyā me syāt"(bṛ. u. 1 / 4 / 17) ityādinā ajñasya kāminaḥ karmāṇīti /
"mana evāsyātmā vāgjāyā"(bṛ. u. 1 / 4 / 17) ityādivacanād ajñatvaṃ kāmitvaṃ ca karmaniṣṭhasya niścitamavagamyate /
tathā ca tatphalaṃ saptānnasargasteṣvātmabhāvenātmasvarūpāvasthānam /
jāyādyeṣaṇātrayasaṃnyāsena ca ātmavidāṃ karmaniṣṭhāprātikūlyenātmasvarūpaniṣṭhaiva darśitā"kiṃ prajayā kariṣyāmo yeṣāṃ no 'yamātmāyaṃ lokaḥ"(bṛ. u. 4 / 4 / 22) ityādinā /
ye tu jñānaniṣṭhāḥ saṃnyāsinastebhyo 'suryā nāma ta ityādinā avidvannindādvāreṇa ātmano yāthātmyaṃ sa paryagāt ityetadantairmantrairupadiṣṭam /
te hyatrādhikṛtā na kāmina iti /
tathā ca śvetāśvatarāṇāṃ mantropaniṣadi"atyāśramibhyaḥ paramaṃ pavitraṃ provāca samyagṛṣisaṅghajuṣṭam"(śve. u. 6 / 21) ityādi vibhajyoktam /
ye tu karmiṇaḥ karmaniṣṭhāḥ karma kurvanta eva jijīviṣavastebhya idamucyate--
andhaṃ tamaḥ praviśanti ye 'vidyām upāsate |
tato bhūya iva te tamo ya uvidyāyāṃ ratāḥ

kathaṃ punarevamavagabhyate na tu sarveṣām iti /
ucyate--akāminaḥ sādhyasādhanabhedopamardena 'yasmin sarvāṇi bhūtānyātmaivābhūddhijānataḥ /
tatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śoka ekatvamanupaśyataḥ ' iti yadātmaikatvavijñānam[uktam ṭatanna kenacitkarmaṇā jñānāntareṇa vā hyamūḍhaḥ samuccicīṣati /
iha tu samuccicīṣayā avidvadādinindā kriyate /
tatra ca yasya yena samuccayaḥ sambhavati nyāyataḥ śāstrato vā tadihocyate yaddaivaṃ vittaṃ devatāviṣayaṃ jñānaṃ karmasambandhitvenopanyastaṃ na paramātmajñānam /
"vidyayā devalokaḥ"(bṛ.u.1 / 5 / 16) iti pṛthakphalaśravaṇāt /
tayorjñānakarmaṇoriha ekaikānuṣṭhānanindā samuccicīṣayā na nindāparaiva ekaikasya pṛthakphalaśravaṇāt"vidyayā tadārohanti" "vidyayā devalokaḥ"(bṛ.u.1 / 5 / 16) "na tatra dakṣiṇā yanti" "karmaṇā pitṛlokaḥ"(bṛ.u.1 / 8 / 16) iti /
na hi śāstravihitaṃ kiñcidakartavyatāmiyāt /
tatra andhaṃ tamaḥ adarśanātmakaṃ tamaḥ praviśanti /
ke? ye 'vidyāṃ vidyāyā anyā avidyā tāṃ karma ityarthaḥ,
karmaṇo vidyāvirodhitvāt ; tāmavidyāmagnihotrādilakṣaṇāmeva kevalāmupāsate tatparāḥ santo 'nutiṣṭhantītyabhiprāyaḥ /
tatastasmādandhātmakāttamaso bhūya iva bahutarameva te tamaḥ praviśanti, ke? karma itvā ye u ye tu vidyāyāmeva devatājñāna eva ratāḥ abhiratāḥ /
tatrāvāntaraphalabhedaṃ vidyākarmaṇoḥ samuccayakāraṇamāha ; anyathā phalavadaphalavatoḥ sannihitayoraṅgāṅgitaiva syāt ityarthaḥ

anyad evāhur vidyayān yad āhur avidyayā |
iti śuśruma dhīrāṇāṃ ye nas tad vicacakṣire

anyatpṛthageva vidyayā kriyate phalamityāhurvadatti"vidyayā devalokaḥ"(bṛ.u.1 / 6 / 16) "karmaṇā kriyate karmaṇā pitṛlokaḥ"(bṛ.u.1 / 5 / 16) iti śruteḥ /
ityevaṃ śuśruma śrutavanto vayaṃ dhīrāṇāṃ dhīmatāṃ vacanam /
ye ācāryā no 'smabhyaṃ tatkarma ca jñānaṃ ca vicacakṣire vyākhyātavantasteṣāmayamāgamaḥ pāramparyāgata ityarthaḥ